Watching todays Daily Politics on BBC 2 there was a debate on Unions going on strike.
The discussion was between Dominic Raab Tory MP and Mark Serwotka, General Secretary PCS union.
Dominic Raab started the debate saying that strikes didn’t solve issues only lost support of the public and in the last vote of the PCS only one in five members voted for strike action.
Mark Serwotka counter argued with several points which included that if the government went on proportion of votes cast Boris Johnson wouldn’t be Mayor Of London. Governments should allow different ways to vote i.e. Phone, Internet etc. and the turn-outs would be bigger. If looked at latest public sector day of action you would find three to four more people struck then voted.
Raab came back saying private sector would kill for a “cracking offer” that the public sector was offered on pensions, Serwotka countered saying this showed how far out of touch the government was, when people have to work eight years longer, pay thousands of pounds more and get tens of thousands pounds less.
My personal view is that every member of a union get the right to either vote for action or against it and it is their democratic right to either vote or not. EVERY MEMBER GETS A VOTE. If the government want to go the way of over 50% of the membership must vote for industrial action then to be fair they should change it for their own national elections. THERE ARE PLENTY OF MPs IN PARLIAMENT THAT DIDN’T GET ABOVE 50% OF THE VOTE.
I don’t like this Private sector verses Public sector that the government uses to split parts of the community up, what we should be doing is to raise pensions to a living standard for everyone not trying to down grade other peoples pensions, pay and conditions.
I see similar things happening on this Tory run council, trying to put a wedge between the Rural and Urban areas of North Lincs
December 13, 2011 at 8:49 pm |
Here, here Mick, well put. I saw the program as well during my lunch break at work and I reached the same conclusion as you. If the Tories had their way and they thought that they could get away with it, I have no doubt that they would abolish the right of the worker to strike. as a member of the Prison Officers Association, I am prevented by law from taking Industrial Action and as a Branch Committee member it is also illegal for me to even suggest it to members (though we are in the European courts trying to win that right back). I hope for the spirits of the Tolpuddle Martyrs things never get to that extreme for other unions.